Post navigation

Get Your Craft On: Homemade Marshmallows

Much thanks to my friend, Emily, for making and sending this recipe. I can personally attest to the absolute deliciosity of these “marshies.” We dunked ours in dark chocolate fondue. Simply divine!

This recipe, from Martha Stewart, Emily made (and proud to say, “conquered”) in one evening, with 24 hours to set. She used a meat thermometer instead of a candy thermometer and guessed on the 24 extra degrees to which the sugar needed to boil. Also, she used a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer, but admits a stand mixer would have helped a lot.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tbsp. unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 c. white sugar

1 c. light corn syrup

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

confectioner’s (powdered) sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment (or, if you’re poor, a metal bowl and a hand mixer). Let stand for 30 minutes to set.

2. (…about 15 minutes later, with 15 minutes left to go on the gelatin) Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup of water in a small heavy saucepan; place over low heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals.

3. Clip on a candy thermometer (or, if you’re poor, a meat thermometer) to the pan; raise heat to high. Cook syrup without stirring until it reaches 244 degrees. Immediately remove pan from heat.

4. With mixer on low speed, slowly and carefully pour syrup into the softened gelatin. Increase speed to high; beat until mixture is very thick and white and has almost tripled in volume, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla; beat to incorporate.

(Notes: 244 degrees is VERY hot. Be careful. I was guessing about the 244 part, since my thermometer only reached 220. Also, I was only able to mix the stuff for about 8 minutes instead of the 15 that Martha suggests because it multiplied in volume beyond what my bowl or mixer could handle. As you can see from the photos, the marshmallow enveloped the beaters and entered the mixer mechanism and it may not recover. Dear Santa, I’d like a KitchenAid stand mixer. Orange, please.)

6. The next day (I waited 24 hours) flip over the parchment paper onto a cutting board dusted with powdered sugar. Then use a pizza cutter to cut the mass into cubes. I also used extra powdered sugar (or you could use cocoa, peppermint candies, or whatever you please) to coat all sides so they don’t stick together. Store in an airtight container. Voila!